Photographic-dry-plate releaser.



PATENTED DEC. 1, 1903.

G. J. STAGE.

PHOTOGRAPHIG DRY PLATE RELEASER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16,1903.

N0 MODEL.

Attomgy Witnesses UNITED STATES ?atented December 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE J. STAGE, OF ROCHESTER, NEIV YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,922, dated December 1, 1903.

Application filed June 16,1908. Serial No. 161,759. (No model.)

To all whom it away concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. STAGE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Dry-Plate Releasers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a photographicplate-receiving frame and means for releasing a plate from a plate-holder and transferring it to the said receiving-frame.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and eflioient means whereby exposed or unexposed plates may be quickly and conveniently unloaded in the sun or other affecting light and placed within a receiver for subsequent use or development, thus enabling one desiring to refill loaded plate-holders carrying exposed plates to readly unload said holders without the necessity of using a dark room for this purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the receiving-frame, showing one of the slides drawn the platereleaser appearing in its normal position. Fig. 2 is a section of the same on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the platereleaser.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents a double plate-holder of ordinary construction, the same comprisinga frame 2, provided with slides 3 and 4 and having a partition 5, arranged to form separate receiving spaces or chambers upon the opposite sides of the center of the frame for the reception of plates 6 and 7. The frame is grooved at 8 to receive retainer-strips 9,which are spring-pressed and engage the inserted plates and hold them in position in the ordinary way.

In carrying my invention into practice I provide a plate-receiver consisting of a frame 10, similar to the frame 2, and having slides 11 and 12 and a partition 13, forming one or more chambers or spaces for the reception of plates from the plate-holder. The frame 10 is adapted to be connected positively to the frame 2 when it is desired to remove plates from the latter to the former, and such connection is afforded bya rabbeting or tongue-and-groove connection 11 and suitable self locking catches which are designed to hold the frame securely connected. I have not shown these catches, as they form no part of the present invention. Asindicatedinthepresentinstance, the grooves of the tongue-and-groove connection may be formed in the frame 10, and the tongues of such connection may be formed upon opposite sides of the frame 2, so that either side of said frame 2 may be connected to the frame 10 for the removal of the plates from one chamber or space of frame 2 to frame 10. The frame 10 has a bore in which fits a stem 14, carrying at its outer end a thumb-piece 15 and at its inner end a finger-piece 16. This finger 16 is adapted to normally lie longitudinally of the frame 10, but may be turned at right angles thereto to engage one of the strips 9 of the frame 2. This stem, with its finger, forms a device for releasing a plate in the plate-holder,so that the same may be adjusted in the receiver 10. The spring 17 normally presses the stem outward and holds the tinger 16 in contact with the inner surface of the frame 10.

In the operation of removing a plate or plates from the plate-holder the frames 2 and 10 are brought together in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and interlocked, and then the slides of both are drawn to bring the chamber of the frame 2 containing the plate to be removed into connection with the receiving-chamber of the frame 10. Then the releasing device is pressed inward by the stem 1e against the resistance of the spring 17 and turned at right angles to engage the confining-strip 9. Then the releaser is drawn down to its fullest extent until the plate-say the plate 6, for instance-is released, so that by properly inclining the two frames the said plate may be tilted out of the frame 2 into the frame 10, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2. It will of course be understood that when the parts are so connected the rabbeting 11 excludes light from the two frames, and thus prevents damage to the plates during the operation of transferring them.

In the manner described any number of plates may be transferred without liability of the same being broken or injured and Without the necessity of resorting to a dark room.

By the use of my invention the necessity of carrying a large number of plate-holders is obviated, and the operator may at any time effect the transfer of plates from the frame 2 to the receiving-frame 10 without damage thereto and Without the necessity of making the transfer in a dark room.

Of course instead of using the invention strictly as a receiver for plates from a plateholder it will be understood that it may be employed to hold unexposed plates for transfer of the same to the holder to permit the latter to be loaded in sensitive light.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

the construction, operation, and advantages of my invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is

A photographic-plate receiver comprising a frame corresponding substantiallyin size and structure with the plate-holder with which it is adapted to cooperate, said frame being provided with one or more plate-receiving spaces and slides and with means for securing a light tight rabbeting connection with the holder, and provided also With a plate-1e leaser consisting of a stem journaled to oscillate and slide in said frame and having atits inner end a finger and at its outer end a handle, said finger adapted by the oscillation of the stem to fold parallel with the plate chamher or chambers, and to project at right anglcs thereto, and a spring to slidably retract the stem when swung inward, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE J. STAGE.

Witnesses:

Gno. E. OoNKEL, GEORGE N. Bonnnn. 

